Posted on 11/11/2001 2:55:19 AM PST by Peter W. Kessler
Sunday is Veterans Day. Every American Citizen should watch "Saving Private Ryan."
At the end of the movie Captain Miller, who is about to die, whispers to Private Ryan, "Earn this."
On December 8, 1941, recruitment stations were overwhelmed by young men signing up to fight tyranny. Who were these young men?
Many had graduated from high school only a few months before. They were taking their first steps toward careers, higher education, the family farm or business. They were young, ambitious, and getting their first taste of independence - that feeling of freedom, leaving the nest, trying their wings.
They chucked it all to join the military, the highly regulated, strictly disciplined military. They trained to fight, to kill, and to die.
On the battlefield, they lost limbs, sanity, lives. They saw the horrors of war, and death was a constant companion.
They prevailed, beating back opression, slavery, and outright murder.
We, who are their descendents, are the beneficiaries of their struggle and sacrifice.
The very least a Veteran has given to Our Country is his youth. Youth evaporated during the ferocious battles fought to preserve our freedom. Our young men, those who survived, came home older, no longer fresh-faced teenagers. They were battle-hardened, battle weary, but eager and anxious to get on with the business of living their lives as Free Americans.
And they built the most productive, wealthiest, most powerful - and most generous - nation in the history of the earth.
We are beneficiaries of that, too.
Sometimes, we behave like their spoiled children. And spoiled we are. We wallow in their success, and have squandered much of it. We needn't wonder why a Veteran shakes his head in sadness when Our Flag is set afire, or when our Armed Forces are ridiculed and second-guessed. Or when our own journalists take a completely neutral stand on our war against terrorism.
Yet young men and women continue to join the military. In them burns the Flame of Freedom. They go to war once again. They will once again fight to preserve Freedom, here and abroad.
And they will sacrifice limbs, sanity, and their lives.
Have we earned it?
We owe our Veterans a debt we can never repay, for earthly life cannot be restored, youth cannot be returned or bestowed on someone who has seen the horrors of armed conflict.
So, from this spoiled child, Thank you.
The heroes of yesterday are frequently forgotten, especially in this age of self-centered instant gratification. We had an Iwo Jima vet living across the street from us back in Texas, and my husband and I would sit and listen for hours to him tell his tales. He would say with tears in his eyes, "Thank you for being interested in what I went through back then. My family just thinks I'm a dottering old fool." His kids and grandkids couldn't care less about his WWII involvement and treated him with disdain. It was appalling. We still send him a Vet's Day card every year, and dh will call and talk army stuff. God bless ya, Mr. Townsend, and thank you for your sacrifice of youth.
God bless ALL of our servicemen and women. You are the reason America is alive and well today.
Salute!
Thanks to all the vets out there, and to those on active duty or reserves.
Salute to all of those who have served and are currently serving our Great Nation! You can never be told enough that you are appreciated and we can never repay the sacrifices made by those who have died to defend our freedoms and way of life!
We will be going to our local Veteran's Day Parade here in Nashville this afternoon to show our support for our troops!
PS - for those in middle Tennessee - the parade is at 2:00 p.m. on Broadway!! Make an effort to come out!!
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